Bluebird Restored and Fired Up on Coniston Water
Donald Campbell's restored Bluebird craft has been operated on Coniston Water for the first time since the pilot's fatal crash on the lake nearly six decades ago.
Campbell was attempting to exceed his world speed record of 300mph (480km/h) when the jet-powered hydroplane, known as K7, flipped over on 4 January 1967.
The wreckage was recovered in 2001, and the craft was transferred to Coniston's Ruskin Museum two years ago after resolving an ownership dispute with Bill Smith, the engineer who led its restoration.
Campbell's daughter, Gina, expressed her astonishment at seeing the craft running on the lake once more.
Throughout his career, Campbell set seven water speed world records piloting Bluebird, including four on Coniston Water between 1955 and 1964.
In 1964, he also set a land speed record, becoming the only person to hold fastest times on both water and land in the same year.
At approximately 14:15 BST, the restored Bluebird was lowered into the water in front of a crowd, initiating around 90 minutes of safety checks on the first day of a week-long event that will include several runs reaching speeds up to 150mph (240km/h).
About 90 minutes later, the jet engines were started.
Emotional Reactions from Family and Supporters
Gina Campbell said: "To see it and hear it… I never thought I'd live to see the day. It's thanks to so many people. It's just been amazing. For once, I'm speechless."
Speaking from the water's edge as Bluebird was positioned, Donald's nephew Don Wales remarked:
"What a day. To see the boat on the lake again, it's utterly magnificent. You can feel the love and the warmth of people here wanting to see it. We've got a few thousand people here today, it's glorious at Coniston. As soon as it touched the water, there was a tear in my eye. It really was quite a moment and the minute's silence was very fitting. Without the restoration team and a lot of other people we wouldn't be here today."
Commemorating a Historic Milestone
The events this week commemorate the 70th anniversary of Donald Campbell setting his first record on Coniston Water in September 1956.
Australian Dave Warby, son of the late Ken Warby MBE who set the current water speed record of 317.59mph (511.11 km/h) in 1978, is piloting the craft, accompanied by Campbell's teddy bear mascot Mr Whoppit in the cockpit.
Ruskin Museum's Role and Restoration Efforts
Jeff Carroll, chairman of the Ruskin Museum which owns Bluebird and exhibits it in a dedicated wing, described the event as the "next chapter" in the craft's history.
"All this started for me as a kid brought up in Coniston, reading books on rainy Sunday afternoons about Campbell and this mythical boat that was in the lake somewhere. Then she came out and was no longer a myth. She was rebuilt by Bill and co, and you have to pay tribute to him because without his bloody mindedness it wouldn't be here."
In recent months, a different team of engineers installed a replacement engine and conducted checks on the electrical and hydraulic systems.
Bluebird last operated nearly eight years ago on Scotland's Isle of Bute when it was under the care of Bill Smith and a volunteer group called the Bluebird Project, who began restoration efforts in 2006.
Legal Disputes and Ownership Resolution
In 2023, the Ruskin Museum initiated legal action after several years of attempting to persuade Bill Smith and his organization to honor the original agreement allowing K7 to return to Coniston.
Smith had vowed to "fight to the death" to maintain control but eventually relinquished his part-ownership claim and agreed to pay £25,000 toward the museum's legal expenses.
Since then, Smith has criticized the museum on social media, recently alleging that Bluebird was damaged by the new engineering team.
However, Carroll refuted these claims, stating that the preparation work was carried out "as sympathetically as possible" and did not cause damage, with "safety put above historical perfection" in a few areas.
